North Carolina Land and Water Fund seeks an Acquisition Program Manager
POSITION SUMMARY:
The Acquisition Program Manager will be accountable for activities related to the Acquisition
Program from application review through project closing and stewardship oversight. The position
will assume an individual project workload, but will also supervise the Acquisition Project Manager,
who will assist with key responsibilities, and the Stewardship Program Manager, who will work with
the Acquisition Program Manager to review conservation agreements and oversee the
Stewardship Program. The Acquisition Program Manager is expected to possess a broad
understanding of natural resource management and specific knowledge about current policies and
programs related to land conservation, natural area management, and conservation funding in
North Carolina. They should also be familiar with real estate closing transactions and associated
documents. The successful candidate must be comfortable gathering information and using
judgment to make complex decisions in a public forum. They should have considerable
experience interacting tactfully and effectively with a diverse group of stakeholders, such as grant
recipients, trustees, and the general public. They must also possess the ability to communicate
effectively and to present complex information in a concise and articulate manner in both written
and oral form, and manage changing work tasks in a dynamic team environment.
Primary Responsibilities:
- Updating and publishing application forms
- Reviewing and scoring applications with input from other staff and outside agencies
- Preparing and presenting agenda items for Board of Trustees review
- Preparing and negotiating grant agreement contracts
- Monitoring the implementation of projects, including working with grantees on project issues
- Developing and negotiating solutions to project obstacles that develop during
- implementation
- Meeting with grantees as needed during project implementation
- Coordinating with grantees, NCLWF staff, closing attorney, budget staff, and others as
- needed to ensure timely and satisfactory acquisition closings and close-out of projects
- Policy development
The duty station will be in Raleigh and the position will report to the NCLWF Deputy Director.
Division Description:
The Division of Land and Water Stewardship is a non-regulatory division within DNCR that
provides information, technical assistance, and grants to support effective conservation. The office
is an integral part of the state’s conservation efforts and seeks to maintain a positive relationship
with communities through partnerships with local, state, and federal agencies, industries,
organizations, and private citizens.
The North Carolina Land and Water Fund (NCLWF) provides grant assistance to non-profits, local
governments and state agencies for the protection of natural resources in North Carolina. NCLWF
funds projects that (1) enhance or restore degraded waters, (2) protect unpolluted waters, and/or
(3) contribute toward a network of riparian buffers and greenways for environmental, educational,
and recreational benefits, (4) provide buffers around military bases to protect the military mission,
(5) acquire land that represents the ecological diversity of North Carolina, and (6) acquire land that
contributes to the development of a balanced State program of historic properties.
Department Information:
The Department of Natural and Cultural Resources' (DNCR) vision is to be the leader in using
the state's natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and economic
future of North Carolina. Our mission is to improve quality of life by creating opportunities to
experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries and nature throughout North Carolina. The
Department works to stimulate learning, inspire creativity, preserve the state's history, conserve
the state's natural heritage, encourage recreation and cultural tourism, and promote economic
development. Our goal is to promote equity and inclusion among our employees and our
programming to reflect and celebrate our state's diverse population, culture, and history by
expanding engagement with diverse individuals and communities. We encourage you to apply to
become a part of our team. Learn more about our agency: WWW.NCDCR.GOV
Qualified candidates must have or be able to do:
- Experience with grant development and/or administration.
- Experience drafting and negotiating contracts.
- Experience in the land conservation field.
- Experience communicating effectively in verbal and written form, establishing and
maintaining effective working relationships with public officials, field professionals,
coworkers, supervisor, and the general public. - Experience speaking and giving presentations in front of a Board or public audience.
- Proficiency with MS Office applications including Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Access, and
Outlook. - Familiarity with GIS or similar mapping software.
- Demonstrated experience managing budgets and preparing or reviewing invoices.
- Demonstrated experience managing and organizing large amounts of files/data.
- The position may involve infrequent site visits that require the ability to traverse rough and
uneven terrain and endure unfavorable work environments (e.g., dust, insects, noise,
inclement weather, etc.). - Must have a valid NC driver's license or the ability to obtain one for employment.
Education, experience and certifications:
Master's degree in one of the agricultural, biological, engineering, environmental or natural
resource sciences or a closely related curriculum from an appropriately accredited institution and
three years of experience related to the area of assignment; or an equivalent combination of
education and experience.
Management Preferences
Experience reviewing or writing legal contracts, real estate transactions, or negotiating land
protection agreements; program management; policy development; and supervision.
SUPPLEMENTAL AND CONTACT INFORMATION:
The Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) selects applicants for employment
based on required education and experience and job-related knowledge, skills, and abilities
without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy, gender identity or
expression, sexual orientation, age (40 or older), disability, National Guard or veteran status,
genetic information, political affiliation or political influence.
Please be sure to complete the application in full. Resumes may be uploaded with your
application, but will not be accepted in lieu of a fully completed application and will not be
considered for qualifying credit. "See Resume" or "See Attachment" will NOT be accepted.
Information should be provided in the appropriate areas, to include the following: Education,
including high school and all degrees obtained, Work Experience, and Certificates & Licenses. It is
critical to our screening and salary determination process that applications contain comprehensive
candidate information.
Answers to Supplemental Questions are not a substitute for providing all relevant information
within the body of your application. To receive credit for the supplemental questions, you must
provide supporting information within the "Work Experience" section of the application, to support
your answers. Degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions. Transcripts, and degree evaluations may be uploaded with your application. To obtain veterans preference, you must scan and upload a copy of your DD-214 or discharge orders.
Applicants requesting and receiving an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) are eligible to submit paper applications via mail or by fax. Please call the human
resources office for assistance. If multiple applications are submitted to an individual posting, only the most recent application received prior to the closing date will be accepted. Applications must be submitted by 5:00 PM on the closing date.
Due to the volume of applications received, we are unable to provide information regarding the
status of your application over the phone. To check the status of your application, please log in to
your account. Upon the closing date, applications are "Under Review" and will be screened by
Human Resources for the qualified applicants. The hiring process may take an average of 6 – 8
weeks. It is the policy of the State of North Carolina and the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural
Resources that all employees provide proof of employment eligibility (immigration and
naturalization) on the first day of employment. We participate in E-Verify (Employment Eligibility
Verification System).
The posting closes on Tuesday, July 20th at 5:00
CONTACT INFORMATION:
N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
Division of Human Resources
109 E. Jones St., Raleigh NC 27601
Phone: 919-814-6670
Technical issues submitting your application, please call the NeoGov Help Line at 855-524-5627.